Director/Writer Sarah Young commits to what is a great horror thriller that many fans will likely connect with big time. “Not Him” is a tense and anxiety ridden horror thriller that works very well in mixing in horror with what too many have experienced in their lifetime. I was very much enamored with how many themes and the sense of ambiguity that Writer/Director Sarah Young is able to integrate through to the very end.
After being attacked in her sleep one night by her husband, Michelle is convinced her husband John is possessed by a demon. His change in attitude and darker streak lead her to find a way to exorcise the potential demon holding him hostage. When her friends Kim and Joe come over for dinner one night, the truth comes out in the open.
“Not Him” is a creepy and tense film and one that’s an obvious allegory for domestic abuse. Michelle is a woman who’s experiencing a change of attitude and body language in her husband is convinced he’s possessed. But is he really? Is he possessed or has he revealed his true nature? Is he demonic or is she just using it as a coping mechanism?
And once darker side emerges, are these moments when we learn the actual gravity of the situation or is John merely gaslighting his wife? It helps that Charlie McElveen loses himself in the role, portraying a very complex character that’s calculating and predatory in many ways. “Not Him” is a sobering and tense short with a lot of ambiguity but has its feet firmly planted in all too relevant social issues.